Low-noise image pickup device having readout transfer paths for divided image information

Abstract

An image pickup device has an image sensor which converts an optical image into electric information, and readout transfer paths to divide the information of one horizontal line of the sensor and to read it out, e.g., as dot signals. A control device distributes the above-mentioned information of one line with a predetermined period for each transfer path. An adjustment device adjusts the levels of the outputs from each of the readout transfer paths. The outputs of each of the color signals so adjusted are sequentially switched over and are sequence-processed. A suppression circuit provided in association with the sequencing circuitry suppresses the levels of each of the adjusted color signals to make those signals non-linear. Color filters may be provided, to produce color signals, and a luminance signal may be formed from the color signals. Delay circuits may be provided to ensure desired phase relations among the read-out signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising: (a) a storage part for storing dot signals in a predetermined dot order;   (b) a plurality of readout parts for reading out the dot signals stored in said storage part, each of said readout parts comprising a register, and said plurality of readout parts and said storage part together constituting at least part of an image pickup device;   (c) level adjustment means for adjusting the levels of the dot signals read out by said plurality of readout parts according to a white balance control signal; and   (d) sequence means for converting the level-adjusted dot signals into a dot-sequential signal such that a dot order of the dot-sequential signal is the same as that of the dot signals stored in said storage part.   
     
     
       2. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of readout parts is arranged to read out the dot signals stored in a predetermined plurality of portions of said storage part. 
     
     
       3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of readout parts are arranged to divide dot signals stored in a horizontal line of said storage part into a plurality of groups of dot signals, each of said plurality of readout parts being arranged to read out of said plurality of groups of dot signals. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an image sensing part for supplying said dot signals to said storage part. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim 4, further including a color filter for color coding light incident upon said image sensing part. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said color filter consists of a plurality of color filter portions, each of said plurality of color filter portions having one of a plurality of different colors and corresponding to one of said dot signals. 
     
     
       7. A device according to claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of readout parts is arranged to read out the dot signals corresponding to all of said color filter portions which have a corresponding one of said plurality of different colors. 
     
     
       8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said level adjustment means includes clamp means for clamping the levels of said dot signals to a reference level. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter to limit the bandwidth of said dot-sequential signal. 
     
     
       10. A device according to claim 9, further including a processor to produce a luminance signal from said bandwidth-limited dot-sequential signal. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sequence means includes a switching circuit. 
     
     
       12. A device according to claim 1, further including suppression means for nonlinearly suppressing said dot-sequential signal. 
     
     
       13. A device according to claim 1, further comprising delay means for delaying the dot signals read out by at least one of said plurality of readout parts. 
     
     
       14. A device according to claim 1, further comprising suppression means for nonlinearly suppressing said level-adjusted dot signals. 
     
     
       15. A device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling said plurality of readout parts. 
     
     
       16. A device according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls said plurality of readout parts to read out said dot signals such that said dot signals read out by said plurality of readout parts have the same phase. 
     
     
       17. A device according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls said plurality of readout parts to read out said dot signals such that said dot signals read out by said plurality of readout parts have mutually different phases. 
     
     
       18. A device according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls said plurality of readout parts to read out said dot signals such that said dot signals read out by said plurality of readout parts have mutually opposite phases. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus comprising: (a) a storage unit for storing dot signals in a predetermined order;   (b) a plurality of readout units for dividing and reading out the signals stored in said storge unit, said plurality of readout units and said storage unit together constituting at least part of an image pickup device;   (c) level adjust means for adjusting the levels of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units according to a white balance control signal;   (d) means for suppressing the level-adjusted signals; and   (e) means for selectively supplying said suppressed level-adjusted signals to a common line such that said suppressed level-adjusted signals are supplied in the same order as that of the dot signals stored in said storage unit.   
     
     
       20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of said plurality of readout units is arranged to read out signals stored in a predetermined number of portions of said storage unit. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said said suppressing means suppresses the level-adjusted signals when said level-adjusted signals exceed a predetermined value. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising color balance detecting means for detecting a color balance of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units, and means for generating the white balance control signal in accordance with a result of the detection by said color balance detecting means. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus comprising: (a) a storage unit for storing dot signals in a predetermined order;   (b) readout means for dividing the signals stored in said storage unit and for reading out the divided signals onto a plurality of lines, said readout means and said storage unit together constituting at least part of an image pickup device;   (c) level adjust means for adjusting the levels of the signals read out by said readout means according to a white balance control signal;   (d) means for suppressing the level-adjusted signals; and   (e) means for selectively supplying said suppressed level-adjusted signals to a common line such that said suppressed level-adjusted signals are supplied in the same order as that of the dot signals stored in said storage unit.   
     
     
       24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said readout means includes a plurality of readout units each of which is allowed to read out signals stored in a predetermined plurality of portions of said storage unit. 
     
     
       25. An apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising color balance detecting means for detecting a color balance of the signals read out by said readout means, and means for generating the white balance control signal in accordance with a result of the detection by said color balance detecting means. 
     
     
       26. An apparatus comprising: (a) a two-dimensional storage unit having a plurality of cells for storing signals;   (b) a plurality of readout units for reading out the signals stored in said storage unit; and   (c) drive means for driving said plurality of readout units in response to a drive signal, said drive means driving a first one of said readout units and a second one of said readout units in response to said drive signal such that the signals read out by said first readout unit and by said second readout unit have mutually opposite phases,   wherein said plurality of readout units includes three readout units, and said drive means drives said first readout unit such that the signals read out by said first readout unit have a first phase and drives said second readout unit and a third one of said three readout units such that the signals read out by said second and third readout unit have a second phase which is opposite to said first phase in response to said drive signal.   
     
     
       27. An apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising level adjust means for adjusting the levels of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units. 
     
     
       28. An apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising process means for processing the signals read out by said plurality of readout units. 
     
     
       29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said process means supplies the signals read out by said plurality of readout units to a common line. 
     
     
       30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said process means selectively supplies the signals read out by said plurality of readout units to a common line. 
     
     
       31. An apparatus comprising: (a) a storage unit for storing dot signals in a predetermined order;   (b) three readout units for dividing the signals stored in said storage unit into three groups of signals and reading out said three groups of signals onto three lines, said three readout units and said storage unit together constituting at least part of an image pickup device;   (c) drive means for driving said three readout units with three-phase drive signals having mutually different respective phases;   (d) level adjusting means for adjusting the levels of the signals read out by said three readout units according to a white balance control signal; and   (e) means for selectively supplying the level-adjusted signals to a common line such that said level-adjusted signals are supplied in the same order as that of the dot signals stored in said storage unit.   
     
     
       32. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said three-phase drive signals have substantially the same frequency. 
     
     
       33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said supplying means supplies the level-adjusted signals to said common line in the same order in which said three readout units are driven. 
     
     
       34. An apparatus comprising: (a) a storage unit for storing dot signals in a predetermined order;   (b) a plurality of readout units for reading out the signals stored in said storage unit, each of said readout units including a register, said plurality of readout units and said storage unit together constituting at least part of an image pickup device;   (c) level adjusting means for adjusting the levels of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units according to a white balance control signal; and   (d) swtiching means for selectively supplying said level-adjusted signals to a common line such that said level-adjusted signals are supplied in the same order at that of the dot signals stored in said storage unit.   
     
     
       35. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said plurality of readout units are arranged to read out the signals stored in a predetermined plurality of portions of said storage unit. 
     
     
       36. An apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising an image sensing unit for supplying image signals to said storage unit as the dot signals. 
     
     
       37. An apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising a color filter for color coding light incident upon said image sensing unit. 
     
     
       38. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said color filter consists of a plurality of color filter portions, each of said color filters portions having one of a plurality of different colors and corresponding to one of said image signals. 
     
     
       39. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein each of said plurality of readouts units is arranged to read out the image signals corresponding to all of said color filter portions which have a corresponding one of said plurality of different colors. 
     
     
       40. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said plurality of readout units are charge transfer structures. 
     
     
       41. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said level adjusting means includes clamp means for clamping the levels of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units to predetermined reference levels. 
     
     
       42. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said plurality of readout units consists of two readout units. 
     
     
       43. An apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising color balance detecting means for detecting a color balance of the signals read out by said plurality of readout units, and means for generating the white balance control signal in accordance with a result of the detection by said color balance detecting means. 
     
     
       44. An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means comprising a plurality of registers, wherein said image pickup means converts incident radiation into an electrical image signal and divides said electrical image signal into a plurality of divided signals, and wherein each of said plurality of registers reads out one of said plurality of divided signals;   (b) level adjust means for adjusting the levels of the plurality of divided signals read out by said plurality of registers according to a white balance control signal; and   (c) sequence means for converting the level-adjusted signals into a dot-sequential signal so as to restore said electrical image signal.   
     
     
       45. An image pickup device according to claim 44, further comprising clamp means for clamping the plurality of divided signals read out by said plurality of registers to a predetermined level, wherein said level adjust means adjusts the levels of the clamped signals. 
     
     
       46. An image pickup device according to claim 45, wherein said image pickup means further comprises: (a) convert means for converting the incident radiation into the electrical image signal;   (b) storage means for storing the electrical image signal; and   (c) divide means for dividing the electrical image signal stored in said storage means into the plurality of divided signals.   
     
     
       47. An image pickup device according to claim 44, wherein said image pickup means further comprises: (a) convert means for converting the incident radiation into the electrical image signal;   (b) storage means for storing the electrical image signal; and   (c) divide means for dividing the electrical image signal stored in said storage means into the plurality of divided signals.